Normally, adjacent healthy teeth are in proximal contact with each other at a proximal contact point. However, if a tooth experiences decay or otherwise experiences damage, its contact point with the adjacent tooth may be lost. During restoration of the tooth, therefore, it is important for the dental practitioner to restore a proper contact point with the adjacent tooth. The recent increase in popularity of resin-based light-curable filling materials has resulted in new procedures, and new difficulties, in establishing proximal contact between adjacent teeth, and tooth restoration in general.
Several prior art devices and methods have been developed for facilitating the establishment of a proximal contact point between adjacent teeth. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,021, issued to Barrett on Aug. 26, 1986, teaches a device and method for proper relative positioning of adjacent teeth during a restoration procedure. A small rigid wedge with a shorter side and a longer side is first inserted with the shorter side against a prepared pulpal floor. A ledge of cured restorative material is formed about the pointed end of the wedge. Thereafter, the wedge is removed and reinserted with the longer side toward the pulpal floor. The longer side is sized such that a downward force on the wedge deforms a matrix band and causes proper spacing between the two adjacent teeth. Use of such a device, however, has significant drawbacks. First, the amount of separation between the teeth is dependent upon the size and shape of the wedge. As such, the dental practitioner must properly estimate which wedge size and shape to use prior to the step of building up a pivoting ledge on the pulpal floor. Such an estimation is difficult at best, especially when considering the necessarily small sizes of such wedges. Moreover, once restorative material has been built-up around this type of wedge, the wedge must be removed in order to complete the restoration process. However, removal of the wedge necessarily removes the artificial contact point that had been established between the wedge and the adjacent tooth. As such, the adjacent tooth tends to deform the matrix band back toward the tooth being restored, causing successive layers of restorative material to also assume a slightly less than optimal shape. As a result, not only is this type of device difficult to work with, but use of this type of device and method does not result in an optimal contact point between adjacent teeth.
Another prior art device and method for use are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,770, issued to Kurer on Feb. 23, 1988. A performed body is positioned in a tooth cavity and held in pressure contact with a matrix band against an adjacent tooth. The cavity is then filled with restorative material, which is then cured by light. Such a pre-formed body, however, must remain in the cavity as the tooth is completely restored. As such, a properly sized preformed body must be selected by the dental practitioner before completely restoring the tooth. Making such a selection properly can be difficult, especially when taking into consideration the necessarily small sizes of such pre-formed bodies. Moreover, such a preformed body must be shaped to engage a hand instrument that is used to apply pressure to the preformed body. However, such an engagement means experiences a high degree of force due to the leverage excerpted by the hand instrument against the adjacent tooth. Such engagement means, therefore, are inclined to break if excessive force is applied thereto. Such breakage frequently occurs well before sufficient force as been applied to the tooth and the adjacent tooth. Moreover, when such breakage occurs, considerable injury may result to the patient's month due to the hand instrument suddenly being released from the performed body. Further, the restoration resulting from use of such a device is heterogeneous, and is therefore more difficult to shape and polish in a consistent fashion. For example, while the restorative material may be shaped easily, the preformed body may not lend itself to shaping as easily. As such, devices and methods of this type are difficult to use.
Clearly, then, there is a need for a dental implement and method that will facilitate the establishment of tight proximal contacts between a tooth and an adjacent tooth easily, quickly, and safely. Such a needed device would facilitate the establishment of both distal and mesial contacts, and would not require the dental practitioner to select a small, correctly sized wedge or preformed body. Use of such a needed device would create a proper proximal contact point and maintain the same throughout the procedure. The resulting restoration would be of a homogeneous mixture of filler material, making the final shaping and polishing of the restoration easy and consistent. Moreover, such a needed device would be extremely easy to manufacture, use, and clean. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.